Reply by MrsN

I teach wood shop classes. I am not defending the teacher but I do have a question for some of you.

I have a class of 17 students. They are all required to take safety tests and pass preformance tests on all of the machines that we use and general shop safety. When we are in the shop I keep track of all 17, to the best of my ability, watching who is using what machines and what they are working on. But sometimes someone needs specific help, which takes my attention from the whole group and focuses it down a bit so I can help with the individual. I still am mostly aware of what all 17 are doing, but some can fly under the radar for a moment or two. and it only takes a moment or two for a student to do something stupid. what should I do to prevent the student from making a stupid choice in that moment?

I wouldn’t have let my students walk out into the shop with their hair down (I myself make a show of putting mine up, to prove the point) but I have had the battle of wits with highschool girls who like to think they can take it down every time I turn my back. (or have long bangs that don’t tie back well, or wear their pony tail in a way that isn’t helpful to the safety standard) try going into a highschool and arguing fashion over function with a seinor girl, you will lose! espically if you are an old man (i am lucky, as a younger woman, they will sometimes listen to me)

sometimes students choose to do things that are not safe, sometimes adults choose to do things that are not safe. In todays culture people hate to take responsibility and say, “i did something stupid” rather they want to blame anyone else that they can.